Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1887-06-25
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, June %. 1887.

PSOPAS va w Wi 1SoNO bAlSAA
own homes here every season and
seek a summer resort, when, in fact,
Washington would do we'll to set up
itself as a frst-class summer resort,
nearly all necessary conditions being
extremely favorable. The city is al
most surrounded by water, there
are always plenty Of amusements and
novelties, and the climate and tenn
perature seem almost perfection. All
last summer the thermometer did
not go over SO degrees, and only
twice this summer, has it reached 80.
The Sunday summer concerts in
the Smithsonian grounds have been
abandoned for the present, but it is
proposed to resume these charming
entertainments as soon as sufficient
funds for the purpose can be provided.
War on the caterpillar is the order
of the day in the Capitol City, and a
score or more of men are engaged in
destroying the cocoons of these pests
which infest the stately shade trees
of the many beautiful parks.
In religious circles last Sunday the
attraction was the Rev. Sam Small, the
Georgia evangelist, who preached
most effectively, and in style pict-
uresquely original, to two i'm
neutrality-suspicious.; hundreds stand
ing, and hundreds being turned
away. Mr.. Small's witty sallies
drew forth involuntary applause and
recalled the sayings of the noted char
acter he formerly portrayed; "Old
ST." of the "Atlanta Constitution.
The burst of martial feeling over
the incident of the Confederate battle
flags is most unfortunate, and it APP
pears was unnecessarily magnifed,
perhaps for political purpose, as is ev-
idenced by Mr.. Sherman's bitter re-
marks on the subject. l think the
great republic of modern times might
well follow in that respect, the eX-
ample of the great republic of ancient
times, mighty Rome, who decreed-
no triumphs to Generals for victo-
ries won over their own fellow citi-
zens, and permitted no monuments
to be built to perpetuate the unhap-
ply memories of civil wars. / believe
it would be best for the reunited re-
public to gather all of our battle-tlags,
both Federal and Confederate, and
make a big bonfire of them, to the
tune of the "Star Spangled Banner"
and "Dixey," played by the Boys
in Blue, and the Boys in Gray in
front ofthe White House. Suchgener-
Gus, magnanimous deeds would be
a%pplauded by enthusiastic thousands
and be the pyre of all sectional ami
mosities, for "Peace hath her victo-
ries not less renowned than war;"
Madam Grundy and her coterie
are discussing a choice bit of social
gossip of a highly sensationaly ma
ture. A chief clerk of one of the De-
.partments under the late Republican
Administration, was a great society
favorite, regardedasa confirmed bach
elor and had for Is years boarded at a
swell house in the West End, presided
overly a handsome and highly re-
spectacle widow. The other day the
clerk quietly changed lodgings, and
the charming widow filed an appli-
cation for a divorce, setting forth
that the pair had been secretly mar
ried in Baltimore fourteen years ago!
Thus this man so prominent in Off
cial and social circles has been lead
ing a double life, all these years.
"Mercy me! how much sweetness
| have wasted on that man." sadly
exclaimed a fair clerk in his former
Department., and many others echo
this disappointed maiden's sentiment
and grieve as those without hope.
But i do not see how the chief clerk
should be condemned without mer.
cy, as there are extenuating circum
stances in the case; the principal one
being that he is a fit type ofthe n.y.
pocrisy of the party which appointed
him. Like many of the disconsolate
bellies of Washington, l dismiss him
with a long-drawn sigh.
At last Speaker Carlisle has yielded
to the pressure upon him of Congress.
men, business men, and openly an,
nounces himself in favor of an extra
session of Congress. But, it is eX,
tremely doubtful whether the Presi.
dent deems the financial situation .o1
the country warrant a measure sc
extraordinary. He has firmly op.
posed an extra session since the ques.
ton was first apitated. and he is 9